1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to connectors for connecting integrated circuit packages to printed circuit boards and more specifically, a connector for connecting a land grid array package to a printed circuit board.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Integrated circuits are typically housed within a package which is designed to protect the integrated circuit from damage, provide adequate heat dissipation during operation, and provide electrical connection between the integrated circuit and the leads of a printed circuit board. Several conventional packages are in the prior art including land grid array (LGA), pin grid array (PGA), ball grid array (BGA), and column grid array (CGA).
A LGA package is an integrated circuit package which has a plurality of planar metalized areas, called lands, for interconnection between the leads of the integrated circuit and a printed circuit board. LGA packages can be mounted to a printed circuit board with connectors which have been developed to maintain a solderless connection between an integrated circuit package and a printed circuit board. For example, a "fuzz ball" socket may be used to interconnect a LGA package and a printed circuit board. The "fuzz ball" socket comprises a non-conductive substrate formed with a plurality of through holes which each house a contact element. The contact elements are formed by forcing a predetermined length of gold plated wire into a through hole such that the wire will bend haphazardly into a jumbled contact that extends through the through hole and resembles a piece of steel wool. To mount a LGA package to a printed circuit board, the "fuzz ball" socket is tightly secured to a printed circuit board and, in turn, the LGA package is tightly secured to the "fuzz ball" socket. It can be appreciated, sufficient pressure must be applied to both the "fuzz ball" socket and the LGA package, respectively, to maintain electrical connections between the lands of the LGA package and the printed circuit board via the "fuzz ball" socket.
As the number of lands and corresponding "fuzz ball" contacts are increased, the pitch between contacts is correspondingly decreased and manufacturing problems increased. The placement of individual wires into evermore tightly packed through holes requires tremendous technological developments. Furthermore, "fuzz ball" sockets are relatively expensive due to costly manufacturing including the placement of individual wires into the through holes to form the various "fuzz ball" contacts.
To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a connector for solderless connection between a LGA package and a printed circuit board.
It is also an object of the subject invention to provide a connector which when mounted to a printed circuit board with a LGA package secured thereto, the spacing separating the LGA package from the printed circuit board is virtually equal to the thickness of the non-conductive substrate of the connector.